In many communications applications, it is desirable to send as much information as possible as fast as possible. One way to increase the amount of information that can be sent in a predetermined amount of time is to send the information in parallel (i.e., send information over more than one wire or channel at the same time). However, in some communications systems, such parallel communications require coordination between the channels that are concurrently sending information.
In particular, in a home entertainment network, such as a network that is operated in accordance with the well-known MoCA standard, sending information over different channels requires coordination that makes it difficult to use hardware that is not in close communication.
In a single channel MoCA network, the process of transmitting an aggregate data packet (A-PDU) over the network consists of these steps:
A transmitting node requests a time slot for the transmission;
A Network Controller (NC) grants the request if channel resources are available;
The transmitting and receiving nodes transmit and receive packets at the specified times.
For this process to be successful, both the transmitter and the receiver independently calculate the appropriate MPG forward error correction code parameters and the number of padding bits to be used.
When trying to coordinate more than one channel acting in concert to transmit information in parallel, coordinating such hardware can be cumbersome and complex. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus that will allow for relatively easy coordination of hardware that can transmit information over more than one “bonded” channel at the same time.